Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 335 – Ten Days In The Bastro Dimension (2)

‘Hmm… The naming sense is rather disappointing,’ Han-Yeol muttered inwardly, slightly disheartened by the lackluster skill name that appeared when he created something new.

"So? Did you acquire a useful skill?" Tia inquired.

"I haven't checked the details yet," Han-Yeol replied.

Despite his dissatisfaction with the skill name, he refrained from vocalizing it, considering it was the skill he obtained from Tia's initial creation after her birth. Nevertheless, if the skill turned out to be unsatisfactory, he saw no reason to withhold his opinion and decided to check it first.

[Summon Lava Golem (F)]

Type: Active

Duration: 1 hour

Description: This is a special skill enabling the user to summon a magma-based golem. As the skill level increases, the duration of the golem's presence will extend, and with each level advancement, the user gains the ability to summon an additional golem. However, while the golem is summoned, it continuously depletes the user's mana.

"Huh? Is that all?" he muttered, almost disappointed upon reading the skill description.

However, he realized that he could access the menu to view the golem's statistics. Naturally, he pressed the menu button.

[Lava Golem (Goddess Athena)]

Rating: Godly

Traits: Melt, Regeneration, Split

Attribute: Magma, Evil

Description: This is a statue portraying the Goddess of War and Wisdom, Athena, crafted from magma instead of marble, and imbued with life as a Lava Golem. However, it remains uncertain whether the sculptor accidentally or deliberately fashioned it to resemble a demon god rather than a goddess. Although lacking in holy powers, it retains formidable strength as a golem.

*All stats are enhanced by 35% owing to the statue's influence.

*Enemies within a three-meter radius of the Lava Golem will sustain 300 burn damage per second.

*The Lava Golem will swiftly regenerate when supplied with magma and at a standard pace otherwise.

*Upon destruction, the Lava Golem will split into two entities.

Immediately after Han-Yeol finished reading the description, he fell silent. The inexplicable and exhausting events occurring around him lately left him speechless, prompting him to contemplate the odd turn of events.

‘Is this for real…?’

“Is it not to your liking, master?” Tia asked.

“Huh? No! It’s the best!” Han-Yeol exclaimed with a thumbs-up.

Chwak!

He couldn't ascertain if it was due to the goddess statue or if the skill itself was exceptionally potent. However, what mattered most at that moment was that Tia had given him the most remarkable gift imaginable.

"Hoho, really?"

"Absolutely! This skill is the most overpowered among all I possess."

While the golem had a time limit, an hour was a considerable duration. Moreover, its ability to split into two upon destruction meant it would perpetually multiply until its time expired. Han-Yeol simply needed to summon it again after the cooldown period. Furthermore, the golem's mere presence inflicted three hundred damage on its enemies.

"This is quite overpowered," Han-Yeol murmured, shaking his head.

"Hoho, I'm relieved you appreciate it, master."

"This surpasses mere liking! I'm grateful you took the effort to create it for me. The outcome is truly astounding! Well done, Tia!"

"Hoho."

Tia found contentment in Han-Yeol's satisfaction. However, she held memories of endless praise for her creations without acknowledgment of her efforts.

The Arachnids' creations were so captivating that they grew arrogant. Their belief in perfection, fueled by continuous admiration, led to the blasphemous portrayal of Goddess Athena. Their conceit eventually became their downfall, cursing them to live eternally as half-spiders.

‘Well, that's in the past now,’ Tia mused, shrugging off her memories.

She found her current form comfortable and enjoyed the thrilling adventures with Han-Yeol. Moreover, she felt no remorse—her reason for portraying the goddess as a villain remained unchanged.

‘If... If I ever meet you, Athena, I'll strike you down with my poisonous fangs! Hoho!’ Tia had no qualms about being an Arachnid, but seeking retribution against Athena lingered as a desire within her.

While lost in her thoughts, Han-Yeol proceeded to test his new skill. ‘Summon Lava Golem!’

Because anything new and good deserved proper testing, right?

The skill activated, and...

Plop...! Plop...! Plop...!

A magic circle materialized on the cave floor, causing it to simmer and emit a rush of mana.

Fshwaaaa!

The magic circle pulsed with increasingly potent mana.

Thud!

"Kyu?!" Mavros, awakened by the sudden surge of mana, mistook it for an approaching threat.

Suddenly, a hand shot up from the ground, akin to zombies rising from graveyards in horror films, and the golem, bearing the likeness of Athena, crawled out.

The golem, resembling Athena, brandished a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.

Athena traditionally held her spear in the right hand and shield in the left, but Tia preferred an altered depiction. Thus, she reversed the placement. Though seemingly minor, such details mattered greatly to the gods. Though their existence in this world was uncertain, Tia took pleasure in her petty revenge.

"..." the Lava Golem remained silent, which suited Han-Yeol just fine.

"Wow! That's a massive amount of mana!"

“Hoho~ It’s because I did a good job making it~”

“Yes yes, I think so too.”

Han-Yeol was so overwhelmed by emotions that he ended up mimicking Riru.

Despite already having several summoned creatures at his disposal, they all possessed strong personalities, leaving him without the satisfaction of complete control. However, the Lava Golem seemed to offer a different experience.

‘A golem is a creature sworn to absolute loyalty to its creator, right?’ he excitedly pondered.

Finally, he possessed a summoned creature completely under his control! Han-Yeol had long envied Mariam's mind-control ability, but now he had a skill to alleviate that envy.

"Hoho." Tia found Han-Yeol's excitement akin to a child receiving a new toy, feeling pleased to bring such happiness to her master.

‘Is this what they consider worthwhile?’ she wondered, a strange and unfamiliar sensation, possibly akin to what her people sought when they rebelled against the gods.

"Alright, shall we go hunt now?"

"Hoho, sounds good to me."

"Kyu!" Although still groggy, Mavros eagerly replied.

While Han-Yeol couldn't create as many skills as he desired, he needed to move swiftly to hunt in the dungeons within the remaining ten days in the Bastro Dimension.

Although technically he could continue hunting beyond the ten days, he deemed it wise to return promptly, considering the awaiting Bastrolings and the need to repair his unique-rated chain, currently holding Karvis captive.

‘Cancel Summon!’

With a command, Han-Yeol recalled the Lava Golem, watching as it transformed into magma and seeped back into the ground.

“Let’s go, Tia, Mavros.”

“Okay, master.”

“Kyu!”

Han-Yeol utilized his Demon Eyes once more to scout their surroundings before departing from the cave, ensuring there were no hyenas in the vicinity. Fortunately, he didn't spot any, so it was safe for them to proceed on their journey.

Thud… Thud… Thud… Thud…

They exited the cave finally.

"Ah~ I love the air in this world!" Tia exclaimed.

"Kyu~"

"Well, the air here is much better than back on Earth."

"Hoho~ I adore how colorless this world is. The demon realm is colorless as well, so it feels like I'm at home."

"R-Really…?"

They continued chatting until they reached the dungeon that Han-Yeol had discovered a while ago.

Clink…!

“…!” Han-Yeol's sensitive ears caught the sound of chains emanating from the east of their current location.

“What’s wrong, master?”

Chwak…!

Han-Yeol raised his hand to signal Tia to be quiet.

Despite her stubbornness and mischievous nature, she proved sharp enough to grasp the situation. She immediately silenced herself and cradled Mavros close to her chest, knowing he could be oblivious in moments like this.

‘What was that?’ he pondered.

Having used Demon Eyes continuously, he hadn't spotted anyone within a six-kilometer radius. However, the distinct sound of chains reached his ears, signifying the presence of something beyond his Demon Eyes' perception.

‘There's no way…’

Encountering a creature that could evade his Demon Eyes seemed implausible, as any living being typically emitted some level of mana.

‘Keuk...! Have those blasted hyenas found a way to conceal their mana?’

That stood as a possibility. Bastrolings were highly attuned to mana, making the ability to mask it a crucial tactic for an ambush.

“Tia.”

“Is it an enemy?”

“I think so.”

“Well, what’s the problem? We can just fight them, right?”

“Y-You’re right, but…”

“Is there a problem?”

“Hahaha…”

Han-Yeol couldn't discern whether Tia was being nonchalant or simply failing to grasp the gravity of the situation. Despite this uncertainty, she smiled and channeled mana into her hands, imbuing them with enough strength to tear through reinforced steel.

They currently found themselves in a forest, a terrain conducive to Arachnids' adept use of their spider webs.

Clink…! Clink…!

"It's approaching!" Han-Yeol alerted.

The unidentified creature, having eluded detection by Demon Eyes, drew nearer. Han-Yeol had no option but to rely on his hearing from that point forward.

Whoosh…!

A gust of wind swept by, revealing a faint silhouette in the distance.

“Huff…!"

The sound of heavy breathing echoed as the silhouette slowly emerged.

“…!”

‘T-That is…!’

Han-Yeol now had a clear view of the creature. Standing at a towering three meters tall, it possessed a massive stature and clutched a chain attached to a large sword.

‘The Oxen Bastrolings?!’

Oxen rivaled bears in size within the Bastro Dimension. However, that wasn't the primary concern at that moment.

‘How could an ox conceal its mana?!’

Oxen were recognized for their aggression and combativeness, surpassing even the canines. Yet, had these brawny creatures suddenly learned to mask their mana so effectively that they could deceive even Demon Eyes? Such an idea seemed utterly implausible!

The Ox Warrior fixated on Han-Yeol with eyes blazing with rage and hatred, emitting a menacing bloodlust.

Crack…!

The creature gnashed its teeth, glaring intensely at Han-Yeol before...

[So, there's another filthy hyena lurking here! Did you truly believe I wouldn't find you if you hid here?]

[W-What?! H-Hey, I’m not a hyena!]

[Shut up! It’s time to perish, the enemy of my people!]